Horizontal beam and vertical panel saws

Horizontal beam panel saws are used to cut panels into pieces and it can cut multiple panels at the same time.

While this guidance has not been updated to reflect current work health and safety legislation (the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and regulations), it may still contain relevant information and practices to keep workers and others healthy and safe.

Please read this guidance in conjunction with all relevant industry standards that apply to you as a PCBU. This guidance will be progressively reviewed and either updated, replaced with other guidance, or revoked.

Horizontal beam panel saw

Multiple panels are stacked – either one panel at a time or the whole stack is pushed to the cut position.

These saws consist of:

a panel handling area about waist high where whole panels are stacked for sawing

a power-operated beam which clamps panels during the cut

a circular saw which cuts the panels - there may be a smaller powered blade for scoring prior to cutting

a programmable panel pusher mechanism that moves panels into position for cutting - large machines may have a rotation system to change the direction panels are presented to the saw.

Task – push the panels to cut position & make the cut

Hazard

Harm

Controls

DO NOT feed the workpiece into the blade or cut “freehand” in any way.

KEEP the work piece stationary and clamped.

USE a sectional safety curtain in front of the beam to prevent access to the clamp and blade.

Blades may be exposed or reachable before they stop turning. Clamps are provided to remove the need for reaching close to the blade. Blades with a run down time of more than 10 seconds will be a hazard if access is possible before they stop turning.

Hazard

Entanglement with automatic label applicator

Harm

Crush injuries

Bruising

Controls

USE a sectional safety curtain in front of the beam to prevent access to the automatic label applicator.

Some horizontal beam panel saws may have an automatic label applicator which presents a potential trap as it applies labels.